Apples
by Demeter1
Summary: Death Note drabbles and nonsense. Thus far, First Arc oriented.
1. The Way of Misa

**"The Way of Misa"  
**

**Demeter**

**Genre**: Gen

**Rating**: PG13

**Characters**: Misa, Raito

**Warnings**: Spoilers up to Ch.58, vaguely futurish

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He pets her absently on the head, Misa looks at him and knows that he doesn't even see her. Misa's there, she has the eyes, she has the ability, she listens to him, he likes that quality about her, he finds her clingy, he doesn't care what she gets out of this. This. This relationship? A relationship of lies, of truths, of damnation because, somehow, Misa misses Rem more than she thought she would and the lack of a caring voice causes the notes to shrill sharply, to fade, to disappear, to die away like the disappearance of Ryuuzaki who Misa now realizes is the one person Raito needs to stopper his brilliant mind, to bottle his hubris, to wave a wand and make everything okay and bring back the Raito who'd hit Ryuuzaki for wanting to use Misa as _bait_.

Look there, twenty years left in that person, oops, she only has two days left, that poor girl, she's going to die in only two days because she's going to get raped and beaten until the brains are leaking out of her ears and wasn't Misa so very lucky for that Death God who'd she never met, who she'd never known, and who, according to Rem, had given up its life just so Misa could live happily ever after, but this happy ending isn't happy and she sees nothing but Raito sneering and Misa knows that this wasn't what she was looking for _at all_.

But Ryuuzaki does the circle dance in Misa's head and Misa sees Raito's none-existent lifeline in her eyes. There is no end, there is no clue and Misa knows the clock will tick, tick, tick until the time is gone and then Misa'll do the wrong thing and Raito will be God and Ryuuzaki will be back and Misa?

Well, Misa doesn't care what happens to Misa. Just so long Raito and Kira (or is it the other way around, Misa wonders) is safe and playing God with people who are as lost as she is she'll cut her life in half again and again, and it'll be okay because didn't someone once say that to cut in half was to cut into infinity?

**- fin -**


	2. Break

**"Break"**

**Demeter**

**Disclaimer:** All rights and privileges of Death Note characters, objects and plots are property and trademarks of Takeshi Obata and Tsugimi Ohba, Shonen Jump, Shueiha, and associated parties. The author claims no legal responsibility for problems associated with using this work. The original story, relationships, and characters found within the fic are property of Demeter.**Rating:** PG

**Characters:** Raito, L

**Notes:** Spoilers up to Ch.60

**Warnings:** ...Raito with a psychotic break?

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"Ryuuzaki, is it true!? Let me see that."

His hands grasp the black notebook and the world around him disappears in a hot roar of white, of images reborn, of a thousand memories he'd willfully forgotten. The blood vessels threading through his head pound in time with each snapshot, but something - someone - screams in his min. For one too-short moment in his life, something indefinable as anything but regret courses through his body. But then it is entirely overwhelmed by the sheer triumph. Arrogance is not arrogance when it's the truth.

_no_

A voice whispers, a crashing against an unstoppable - and no, he doesn't _want_ it to stop - onslaught and the dark eyes blink once, twice, three times. Shadows pour in and the glint of an egomaniac grasps Raito's core and squeezes, melting all over like ice in warm water. The deaths of hundreds of people course through his mind and someone rips the grief out of him. Sorrow, what sorrow? He has no need for sorrow.

_pastries and cubes, the dripping scent of tea._

Raito knows who sits next to him; everything is changing and L doesn't change. The limbs still bend in contortions and the smells of raw sugar still sweat from him like sugared lemonade. A hand spasms and an arm twitches to reach over and push L out of the helicopter. There is danger, danger - there is danger in staying. He is a danger to L. Everything's flowing backwards in time and forwards in plans. Death is planned, death is on the menu, death is the puzzle he designs for L, for Ryuuzaki, names don't have any meaning and the digesting pastry in his stomach curdles.

Somewhere, there's a smiling new God and a heartbroken Raito.

**- fin -**


	3. Off the Path

**"Off the Path"**

**Demeter**

**Rating**: G

**Characters**: L, Raito

**Words**: 179

**Warnings**: pre-second arc. Set anywhere between Raito losing and regaining his memories.

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He looked rather guiltily at the four love letters in his hand and made a silent apology before throwing them into the trash. L watched him from the nearby couch, the metal cuff digging into his wrist. His long and thin fingers dangled sugar cubes and malnutrition over the rim of a delicate cup of tea. A big gulp was prefaced by a tiny sip that balanced on the edge of caution.

"More love letters, Yagami Raito?"

Irritated, Raito said, "Yes, and so?"

"I think Misa-chan will be very upset."

"Why do you think I threw them away?"

There was itty bitty kitty stickers plastering the top envelope and already the heavy smell of perfume was seeping from the plastic bag and snaking around the floor, up the chair legs, and into the sensitive nose of L. He sneezed, once, twice. The garbage was suddenly too close and reminded him of big eyes and broken hearts.

L drummed his toes against the stuffed leather and tried to see how long he could hold his breath without instinct taking over.

**- fin -**


End file.
